Karl Skala hopes experience, dedication earn another Third Ward council term

By Caitlin Campbellccampbell@columbiatribune.com | 815-1719

Friday

Feb 5, 2016 at 12:01 AMFeb 5, 2016 at 1:00 PM

With six years of experience as a councilman under his belt and more than a decade of service on various city commissions, Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala seeks to continue his dedication to Columbia with another council term.

“I’ve had to make a lot of tough decisions” in six years, “but I love being on the council,” Skala said.

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Skala was more interested in art than government as a child and recalls years of tap-dancing, ballet and acting lessons as he grew up. Music took over his life as a young man, he said, but then the Vietnam War began, and he joined the U.S. Marine Corp after receiving a draft notice.

After six years in the military, Skala studied psychology at Southern Illinois University, and someone suggested he apply to the University of Missouri-Columbia for graduate school. Skala moved to Columbia in 1980 and stayed because he loved the city, he said.

“Everyone here has an opinion,” Skala said with a laugh. “Being part of that, especially as a councilman, has been a lot of fun.”

Skala said he is aware that many disagree with decisions he has made, but that he believes he always does extensive research before making up his mind and “people have to be able to respect that.”

After voting against a bill to loosen restrictions against marijuana cultivation in 2014, Skala said he received a lot of criticism, but that he thinks people understand he believes nonmedicinal cultivation needs to be approved by lawmakers on the state level. He also cited that 4-3 council vote, which ultimately led to a recall effort against former First Ward Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick, as a reason he does not make campaign promises and instead studies issues intensely to make an informed decision.

Skala said he hopes he can get more accomplished in the next three years as a councilman than any other term he has held. He would like the city to undertake specific public safety, infrastructure and economic development efforts, all of which center on the idea of promoting equal opportunity to give residents “a fighting chance.”

He said he wants to continue working toward funding for additional police officers to support community policing and ensuring all of the city’s fire stations are fully staffed. Community policing is an attitude the police department can adopt, Skala said, but voters will eventually need to decide if additional officers would be helpful in meeting Columbia’s needs.

Recently, the police department reported low morale among its employees, which Skala attributed to police officers being overworked. He said police under-staffing is also represented in the fact that response times have been rising over the years. “Officers need some time out of the intensity of the job, and the only way to do that is through hiring more officers,” he said.

Funding for infrastructure in a city growing rapidly will continue to be a challenge, Skala said, and he believes the city did not plan ahead for its infrastructure needs. He said he is an advocate for sustainable growth and mixed use, flexible construction.

The city does not have a pool of money it can use for public safety and infrastructure, Skala said. He said the city will eventually need to ask voters for the funding but that it needs to be done in a balanced way so people are not overwhelmed by rate or fee increases.

Skala also said he would like to bring skilled jobs to Columbia and that he thinks the city should promote a good business climate by expanding technical training and business retention efforts. Skala has had a highly publicized, ongoing feud with Regional Economic Development Inc. —which works to attract business to the city — but he said that does not mean he does not support businesses.

“My issue with REDI is more the makeup” of the board, which is a mix of public and private interests, Skala said.

Aside from philosophical differences, Skala said what sets him apart from his opponent is experience, dedication and good ideas for Columbia’s future. Skala said his opponent might have new ideas but aren’t necessarily feasible.

“I’ve been involved civically since 1988,” Skala said. “I can’t tell you how valuable it is for me to understand what has happened in Columbia’s past so we can apply that” to the future.

Comments on other issues:

High-voltage transmission line project:

Skala voted last month to go ahead with route Option A for a new transmission line and substation project, but four council members voted to postpone the project. He said the city’s electric system needs the project to meet federal standards and serve rising demand. “The burden of proof was on the group of folks who were asking” the council “to change the current route from Option A,” Skala said. “There wasn’t enough compelling evidence for me to want to do that.”

Rewrite of development code:

Skala said the city will need to strike a balance between predictability and flexibility with the new codes. He said he would like to see the project move forward in a timely manner because it has been in the works for years.

Road infrastructure:

Skala said he would like city funding for infrastructure to be more evenly spread across the six wards. During the city’s review of the capital improvement project sales tax proposal before it was sent to voters in August, he fought for road projects to be added in the Third Ward.

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